Present tense

Present tense is easier to read and understand than past or future tense. And simple verbs are easier to understand than complex verbs, such as those in the progressive or perfect tense. Remember that most (all?) users read while in the middle of a procedure. They're trying to troubleshoot or fix a problem. I've yet to meet a user who reads the documentation for fun.

Especially for procedures, think of the user as they follow the steps --- they're "in the now."

Although the Cloud is reliable, save your work often.

Click Open. ARTEMIS displays the file contents.

As you work, ArticleExpress warns you of potential errors.

instead of

Click the Bold icon. ArticleExpress will format the selection.

While working, ARTEMIS will stop if you have made an error.

When you click Submit, ArticleExpress will have formatted the document and saved the contents before continuing.